Hazel was following behind him. It was weird how normal everything had felt, even though they were on this island. Perhaps it was the weird veneer of normalcy in their conversations, even when Tara had fallen down the slopes. It barely felt different from talking to people at school.

The person up there had ruined that illusion though, a reminder of the potential dangers of the island, even if it was by scaring Tara off.

Maybe they were friendly, maybe they were not. But, it wasn't worth the risk. If Tara didn't want to stick around, he shouldn't either.

But what if they were just be looking for a friend. What if they were just lost or confused or scared.

He pushed his already tired legs harder, hoping that he would leave these thoughts behind.

((Jordan Green continued elsewhere))

"I have the heart of a young boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk" -- Stephen King